July 13, 2018

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

The Last Command

Jesus’ disciples were fearful and perplexed about what His departure was going to “look like” (or FEEL like), or how this “plan of God” was playing out concerning them. Even though during His teaching Jesus described the coming persecution, I don’t think they were anticipating enduring hardships beyond their imaginations. Not until after dying on the cross, Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for us, did they fully understand the plan Jesus was revealing to them. He taught them His gospel and now was sending them out to spread the good news of His message of love to the entire world.

In fact, His last command before He ascended into heaven to take His seat at the right hand of God was to “go, make disciples, teach them to obey all that I commanded you.” It was not His last “suggestion.” It was not “if you have time, could you please take My message of unconditional love to the world?” He said, “GO!” This very thought challenges me to “do better” at any opportunity He gives me to obey His last command and to carry His light to the utmost parts of the world.

We each have a world. No one else goes into the same world as you. If you are married, although your worlds connect and overlap, your husband does not see every person that your life touches and vise versa. Even when my husband and I worked and traveled together 24/7, we still had conversations with different people in the stores we were servicing. So as much as our worlds were overlapping, feeling “together” all the time, we still had opportunities to speak into the lives of different people. So when the Lord gave us His last command, to go into the entire world, He was very aware that He was giving us each our very own private little “entire world.”

“I deeply desire to go boldly into my private little world that You have given my feet to tread, LORD. But I truly depend on You for the courage to carry out Your last command. In Your Word, Paul taught the Corinthians, ‘God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things and at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work’ (2 Corinthians 9:8). Thank You for every opportunity to tell someone about Your great love for them. Thank You for giving me “all that I need” to carry out Your last command, and for being with me always. Amen.”